Since Mutemath released its first EP in late 2004 and hit the road in 2005, their musical style has transformed over the years. By the time of their 2006 self-titled debut, their blending of adverse genres earned them a reputation as one of modern music’s most daring young groups. By 2007, they found themselves Grammy nominated and declared by Alternative Press as “the #1 band you need to see live before you die.” But in the band almost broke up during the making of their sophomore album Armistice. “It was a risk we had to take,” says King looking back on what they set out to accomplish for Armistice. “This record was by far the most painful music-making experience I’ve ever had, but also the one I’m most proud of.”
The band is best known for the 2007 single “Typical”, taken from their 2006 self titled album. The song’s innovative backwards video was nominated for a Grammy in 2008 for Best Short Form Music Video. Speaking with Songfacts in a 2011 interview, Darren King poked fun at the somewhat futile nomination : "For the rest of our career, we get to say "Grammy nominated band." We don't have to say what it was for. (Laughing)." Mutemath re-enacted the "Typical" video during a live performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, using the same reverse playback technique used in the original video. The song also peaked at #33 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.
The band has contributed songs to various films such as Twilight, Transformers, Never Back Down, The Stepfather, The Rocker, and Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2.
Alongside contributing songs to film and product endorsements, Mutemath has appeared on every major late night television program including: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.
In April 2011, it was announced on their official website that founding guitarist Greg Hill had left the band in October 2010. The new album was recorded with other band members filling in on guitar and a new guitarist, Todd Gummerman, was named shortly after Odd Soul was released and he features in most music videos from the album.
Burden
Mutemath Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fire down a bending wall
Or would you care to be
In all the gambling that got started
No one is better off
Hope is a candle lit night
No one is meant to be
We just lie awake in a stolen thought
We just lie awake and imagine what we are
We hide and wait for some golden star
And hope the dirt is wearing off
Fall like a domino
Lob up another mistake
All of it's killing me
Let's find a bitter end and restart it
Love isn't what you want
Hold if you can't believe
Facing a loaded gun
In time to take a look at what's causing
all the fuss, we mustn't buckle all
At once
We just lie awake in a stolen thought
We just lie awake and imagine what we are
We hide and wait for some golden star
And hope the dirt is wearing off
I just can't hold it together
We just lie awake in a stolen thought
We just lie awake and imagine what we are
We hide and wait for some golden star
And hope the dirt is wearing off
The devil is not the nature that is around us
But the nature that is within us all
The lyrics to Mutemath's song Burden explore the complexities of life and human nature. The opening lines, "Crime in the currency, fire down a bending wall, or would you care to be in all the gambling that got started," suggest a sense of chaos and unpredictability in the world. The singer questions whether they want to be a part of this chaos or not.
The following lines, "No one is better off, hope is a candle lit night, no one is meant to be on anything afloat," touch on themes of hopelessness and uncertainty. The singer seems to be grappling with existential questions about the purpose of life and their own place in the world.
The chorus, "We just lie awake in a stolen thought, we just lie awake and imagine what we are, we hide and wait for some golden star, and hope the dirt is wearing off," emphasizes the idea of self-reflection and introspection. The singer is struggling to understand themselves and their place in the world, hoping for some sort of clarity or revelation.
The final lines, "The devil is not the nature that is around us, but the nature that is within us all," suggest that the true struggle lies within ourselves, rather than external forces. Overall, the lyrics to Burden are thought-provoking and introspective, encouraging the listener to reflect on their own inner struggles and search for meaning in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Crime in the currency
Our society is corrupted by illegal activities that mostly involve money
Fire down a bending wall
There is a great danger or problem that needs immediate attention
Or would you care to be
Do you want to be part of this chaotic and uncertain situation?
In all the gambling that got started
The situation has been caused by risky and irresponsible behavior from certain individuals
No one is better off
Everyone is affected negatively by the situation
Hope is a candle lit night
People are desperately searching for hope even in the darkest of times
No one is meant to be
Nobody deserves to be in this situation
On anything afloat
Nobody is safe or secure
We just lie awake in a stolen thought
People are sleepless and trapped in their own thoughts, struggling to find a way out
We just lie awake and imagine what we are
People are questioning their own identity and purpose
We hide and wait for some golden star
People are looking for a savior or a miracle to save them from the situation
And hope the dirt is wearing off
People hope that the situation will improve and that the negative consequences will fade away
Fall like a domino
Small problems are causing bigger problems and everything is falling apart like a chain reaction
Lob up another mistake
People make mistakes repeatedly and the situation gets worse because of it
All of it's killing me
The situation is causing great distress and pain
Let's find a bitter end and restart it
We need to find an end to this suffering even if it means starting over again
Love isn't what you want
People may think they want love, but what they really need is a solution to the situation
Hold if you can't believe
Hang on and have faith, even if it's hard to believe things will get better
Facing a loaded gun
There is a great danger that needs to be confronted
In time to take a look at what's causing all the fuss, we mustn't buckle all at once
We need to pause and analyze the root causes of the situation and act responsibly to avoid making things worse
The devil is not the nature that is around us but the nature that is within us all
The root cause of many of our problems is human nature and our own weaknesses and faults
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: Dennis Craig Herring, Paul Meany, Tedd Tjornhom
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mtpstv94
You guys never got the appreciation that you deserved.
@artisteric
Rescinded Between the debut album and Armistice, things were pretty rocky and discord among the members took hold. It was hard for them to recover from that but hey, we appreciate them and the six albums they gave us :)
@zxyxxyz
i know
@auzzie560
Amen to that
@DillonSmith1
The ability to cut that off so perfectly...
@AlejandroOseguera
These Drummer style must be the most unique I've seen and heard, I listen from Pos rock to Power metal and neoclasic, and no other drummer is so recognizable to me than him, really amazing drummer, important member of this awesome Band
@zxyxxyz
darren king is a legend
@shadoxir
I love how they change their instruments in the middle of the song! The drummer is CRAAZAAYYY!!
@curtisjones9555
I get the same feeling as the first time I heard this song.
Very underrated band. But very appreciated by me.
@CBR250RMAN
I grew up in the seventies. The bands of major influence for me were bands such as Rush, Zepp, Bad Co., The Who and The Eagles. When I first heard the guys in Mute Math, I thought wow, I've found an entire new sound to get all excited about. A fantastic band who's full recognition was never realized.